Thirsty?

Jeremiah 2:13  for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. 

The first sin was forsaking God. The second sin was trying to get for themselves what God gives freely, abundantly, and continuously. The image of a fountain of living water compared to a broken cistern incapable of holding any water is a striking one. It's like comparing Niagara Falls to a mud puddle. It's amazing to me how easy it is for human beings to reject their creator, to turn from his abundance and try so hard to replace the very thing we leave behind. Consider all the ways mankind tries to fulfill the needs that can only be fulfilled by God: false notions of love, truth, beauty, service, worship, relationships and so many others. Consider the movies, television shows, even commercials, that bombard our senses. I wonder if we even realize the degree that we're affected and shaped by these things. It's so subtle. 

I grew up in the fifties with the TV shows of that era. In the span of my lifetime, I'm astounded by the changes in what we see and bring into our homes through various media. How is it that we have allowed these things to shape our understanding of beauty and love, truth and justice? They are such a pitiful replacement for all that God offers us and blesses us with. I'm not trying to single out television as the source of all negativity but it's a good example of how we have turned from the things of God to the things that are man-made and allowed those things to become our standard. We have replaced a fountain of living waters for a broken, leaky, useless cistern. We're thirsty and wandering in dry places looking for water.

The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I am astounded by his love and his provision - his intimate, attentive involvement in every aspect of my life. I've learned to trust him more and more, to lean on him for the strength I can't find anywhere else. I've experienced what the transforming power of his love can do in my own life and how I see myself and others in my world. I've seen that love reach people who had given up on themselves and on God; watched him turn their lives upside down and fill them with the knowledge of his love and forgiveness - his very presence and nearness. 

What a mighty God we serve! What an injustice we do in limiting and diminishing his love and power and how much we miss out on because of those limits. I have seen how much God loves to bless us - to pour on us his living water, to allow us to splash in that fountain and receive his blessings, his healings, his love. When we turn away from God or try to fit him in some convenient mold that diminishes him, we are removing ourselves from the place of blessing. We are turning away from unlimited, unconditional love that is that fountain of living water and, instead, finding ourselves settling for so very much less - a pitiful substitute than can't begin to fill the holes in our souls, the thirst for all God has for us. We are trying to find water in a leaky, empty well.

No wonder God calls that a sin. We put ourselves in place of God. We rely on our supposed know-how and ability, turning our backs on God. If sin is anything that separates us from God, certainly our self-sufficiency and pridefulness separate us more than anything else. 

“You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless, until they can find rest in you.” This well-known quote from St. Augustine states the point of this posting so beautifully. God created us, loves us and is always calling us to return to his fountain of living waters, to know what it means to find true rest. He invites us to cease striving, to come to him and receive his love and peace.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water....Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
(John 4:9-16, 39-42 ESV)

Peace in the Storm

Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22-33 ESV)

As I’ve been praying for two special people who are going through a lot of difficult struggles right now, the Lord led me to this story in Matthew. The part that seemed to be grabbing my attention was when Jesus called to Peter to come to him on the water. What did that have to do with my prayers? So I re-read the passage and waited for the Spirit to open my mind to what he was trying to tell me.

Jesus calls Peter to come, he gets out of the boat and walks on the water until he lets his fear of the wind take over. The text says the he didn’t see the wind while he was looking at Jesus. How did Peter not see the wind? Why mention he didn’t see the wind, anyway? You can’t see wind, only the effects of it and the waves were fierce! How could he not notice that? He must have been so completely focused on Jesus that he didn’t even notice that storm. It was still raging when he climbed out of that boat because Jesus didn’t calm the storm until later. (He had already demonstrated his authority over creation by walking on the water; calming the storm was secondary.) The men were afraid – terrified – of the storm. They’d battled it for 9 long hours with all their strength. In an instant Jesus did what they were incapable of doing. While the storm was raging, Peter looked on Jesus and wasn’t afraid. He “mastered” the storm by focusing completely – single-mindedly – on Peace in the person of Jesus.

What must it have been like for Peter to climb out of that boat that was being tossed around by those waves? Who in their right mind would do that? Look at the choices Peter was faced with: stay in the boat and keep on fighting the storm for another 9 hours; or, look at Jesus who wasn’t the least bit bothered by the storm. He was in complete control. Jesus was safe, the boat wasn’t.

How often we stay in our storm-tossed boat struggling with every ounce of our strength. We think we have no other choice but to put our heads down and keep fighting. All the disciples, with all their combined strength couldn’t make any headway. Do you ever feel that way? Keep striving. Keep fighting. You’re exhausted. The storm is winning. Then, you look up and there is Jesus, inviting you to “come”. Get out of that boat. Look upon your Savior.

In this instance the storm wasn’t calmed until after the men responded to Jesus. Is it because it sometimes takes a lot to get our attention? Do we have to wear ourselves out before we recognize the better way? The Way?

Sometimes Jesus calms us in the midst of a raging storm with his peace that truly passes all understanding. Other times he speaks to the storms in our lives and says, “Peace. Be still.” In his infinite and perfect wisdom, the Lord works out his purposes in our life. He teaches us what faith is, what trust is and what salvation is.

When Peter returned to his fearful place, back in that poor storm-beaten boat, Jesus was with him. With Jesus in the boat, the winds ceased.

Allow Jesus to walk with you in the dark places, the frightening, stressful places that are draining your strength. Look into the eyes of your Savior. Keep looking. Don’t look at the storm. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Hear his words: “Have courage. I AM. Fear not.”

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.  (Zechariah 4:6 ESV)